Tractor umbrella



June s, 1948.

D. H. MORGAN TRACTOR UMBRELLA Filed Feb. 12, 1946 ATTORNEYS Patented June 8, 1948 TRACTOR UMBRELLA Don H. Morgan, Troy,

Sunshade Company,

of Ohio Ohio, assignor to The Troy Troy, Ohio, a corporation Application February 12, 1946, Serial No. 647,097

6' Claims. (01. 135-28) This invention relates to umbrellas, and particularly to umbrellas of sturdy construction adapted for use on tractors, at the seashore, and other places Where they are subject to rough treatment and severe service conditions.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a novel runner device of simple and sturdy construction, adapted for use with umbrellas of the above type.

Another object is to provide an umbrella runner having novel reinforcing means which also serve as supporting bearings for the braces of the umbrella ribs.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the ap pended claims.

In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and in which like characters of reference designate like parts throughout- Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partly broken away, illustrating an umbrella provided with a runner embodying the invention;

Fig. '2 is an enlarged section taken substantially on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section illustrating the operation of the runner; and

Fig. 4 is a further enlarged detail view.

In the drawings, umbrella standard It is preferably composed of steel tubing or other suitable material. The umbrella canopy H is shown as mounted at the upper end of standard In by means of plate 12 and outer cap 14. Notch ring is also secured to the upper end of standard It! and provides pivoted connections for the hooked upper ends of ribs l6. These ribs 16 are in turn supported by braces l8 whose lower ends are pivotally supported by a runner indicated generally at 20, the construction of which is shown in enlarged detail in Figs. 2 to 4.

In the illustrated construction the runner device includes a sleeve 01' barrel 22 provided with an outwardly peened lower end to which a protective and strengthening cover 24 is crimped or otherwise attached. Sleeve 22 also carries an annular runner crown which is roughly U-shaped in cross section and includes an outer rim portion 25, an inner rim portion 26 and a, connecting portion 28. Inner rim portion '28 of the runner crown fits over sleeve 22 in close telescoping engagement and is shown as being held in posiiton between an annular bead or collar 30 on sleeve 22 and the outwardly peened upper end 32 of the sleeve. This construction holds the runner crown with its middle portion 28 in the position of a flange extending radiall outward with respect to the sleeve and substantially perpendicular to the length thereof and with runner crown portion 25 in the position of a collar extending upwardly from the outer periphery of flange 28. This collar portion 25 of the runner crown is preferably inclined inwardly toward the upper end thereof, as shown particularly in Figs. 3 and 4, an angle of the order of 15 from the vertical having been found to give satisfactory results in practice.

Collar portion 25 of the runner crown is provided with a plurality of spaced holes '33, and in the preferred embodiment of the invention illus trated, these holes 33 are formed by punching tab-like portions 35 inwardly from collar '25 until they lie in superimposed and parallel relation with the upper surface of flange 28. Holes 33 are spaced downwardly from the upper edge of collar 25 to leave a continuous rim portion 36 which is adapted to serve as a pivot for the looped or hooked lower ends 38 of rib braces l8. It has also been found satisfactory to space the lower ends of holes 33 above the junction between collar Z'Send flange 28 by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of the material forming collar 25 so that when tabs 35 are punched inwardly they will fold down substantially evenly on the upper surface of flange 28 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

In assembling the device, each of the looped ends 38' of rib braces I8 is inserted in its proper hole 33 from the outside, and the end of the brace is preferably flattened as'shown at 40 to facilitate this step. In the subsequent use of the umbrella, each of tabs 35 serves both to reinforce flange '28 and also to provide a bearing which supports brace ends 38 throughout the various positions assumed by the brace in the use of the umbrella. Three of these positions are shown in Fig. 3, the position shown in full lines being an intermediate position assumed during the upward and downward travel of the runner, the dotted position to the left of the position in full lines being that assumed by the brace when the runner is near the limit of its downward travel, and the dotted position shown to the right of the position in full lines being that held by the brace when the umbrella is fully extended in use and the runner is at the limit of its upward travel.

The illustrated device is simple to manufacture and in addition it requires no extra material beyond that initially present in the runner crown, since tabs 35 are composed of the material necessarily displaced from within holes 33 in the formation of these holes and which would otherwise be scrap. It provides rugged construction which readily withstands the severe thrust against the runner, particularly during erection and use of the umbrella when substantially the entire weight of the canopy as well as the force of any wind directed against the upper surface thereof is concentrated at the points of contact between looped brace ends 38 and flange 28 of the runner crown.

Furthermore, this construction provides for distribution of the thrust over the upper surface of tabs 35 as braces with the actual point of contact between" each looped brace end 38 and tab 35 moving progressively inward as the runner moves upward. Since the strain increases during this motion, the re sult is that its actual point of application to flange 28 moves radially inward and so decreases its leverage on the flange and on the junction between the flange and inner collar 26. This construction is accordingly well suited for use with umbrellas oflarge size and under severe service conditions. It is also capable of use with a variety of stop members, one being shown for purposes of illustration as a spring wire 50 coiled about a pin 52 set in standard l and having its end 54 braced against the inside of the standard.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: V

1. An umbrella runner for use with a plurality of umbrella rib braces having looped ends, comprising, in combination, a sleeve member adapted for sliding movement on an umbrella standard, an annular flange member projecting radially outwardly on said sleeve, an annular collar projecting upwardly from said flange .and spaced from said sleeve, said collar having a plurality of spaced holes punched inwardly therein and below the upper edge thereof leaving a continuous upper rim portion, material of said collar being displaced to form said holes and being bent over upon the upper surface of said flange, said rim portion of said collar between the top of each of said holes and the upper edge of said collar providing pivots for said looped ends of the umbrella rib braces, said displaced material from said holes supporting said looped ends and providing bearing surfaces against inward and downward thrust of said rib braces.

2. An umbrella runner for use with a plurality of umbrella rib braces having looped ends, comprising, in combination, a sleeve member adapted for sliding movement on an umbrella standard, an annular flange member projecting radially outwardly on said sleeve, an annular collar formed as an integral part of and projecting upwardly from said flange and spaced from said sleeve, said collar having a plurality of spaced holes punched inwardly therein and below the upper edge thereof leaving a continuous upper rim portion, material of said collar being displaced to form said holes and being bent over upon said flange, said rim portion of said collar between the top of each of said holes and the upper edge of said collar providing pivots for said looped ends of the umbrella rib braces, said displaced material from said holes providing radial-' I8 change their positions '4 1y extended bearing surfaces supporting said looped ends against inward and downward thrust of said rib braces throughout the swinging movement thereof in use.

3. An umbrella runner for use with a plurality of umbrella rib braces having looped ends, comprising, in combination, a sleeve member adapted forsliding movement on an umbrella standard, anyannular flange member projecting radially outwardly on said sleeve, an annular collar projecting upwardly from said flange and spaced from said sleeve, said collar including a plurality of spaced tab portions integral therewith along one edge adjacent said flange and separated therefrom along the remainder of the periphery thereof, said tab portions being displaced inwardly from'said collar to provide a plurality of spaced holes and being superimposed on the uppersurface of said flange, the portions of said collar between the top of each of said holes and the upper edge of said collar providing pivots for said looped ends of the umbrella rib braces, said tab portions supporting said looped ends and providing bearing surfaces against inward and downward thrust of said rib braces.

4. An umbrella runner for use with a plurality of umbrella rib braces having. looped ends, comprising, in combination, a sleeve member adapted for sliding movement on an umbrella standard, an annular flange member projecting radially outwardly on said sleeve, an annular collar projecting upwardly from said flange and spaced from said sleeve, said collar having a plurality of spaced holes formed therein by punchingv inwardly and downwardly a plurality of integral tab portions, the top of each of said holes being spaced from the upper edge of said collar leaving a continuous upper rim portion, said tab portions remaining integrally attached to said collar adjacent the junction between said collar and said flange and being forced radially inward and substantially into contact with the upper surface of said flange, said rim portion of said collar .between the top of each of said holes and the upper edge of said collar providing pivot means for said looped ends of the umbrella rib braces, said tab portions supporting said looped ends and providing bearing surfaces against inward and downward thrust of said rib braces.

5. An umbrella runner for use with a plurality of umbrella rib braces having looped ends, comprising, in combination, a sleeve member adapted for sliding movement on an umbrella standard, an annular flange member projecting radially outwardly on said sleeve, an annular collar projecting upwardly from said flange, said collar being spaced from the upper edge of said collar to provide a pivot for said looped end of one of said umbrella braces, the lower edge of each of said holes being spaced from the lower edge of said collar by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of said collar, each of said holes being formed by punching inwardly and downwardly a portion of said collar generally tab-like in outline, each of said tabs remaining integrally attached to said collar along the lower edge of the hole and being bent over upon the upper surface of said flange, said tabs supporting said looped ends of said rib braces and providing bearing surfaces 5 against inward-and downward thrust of said rib braces.

6. An umbrella runner for use with a plurality of umbrella rib braces having looped ends, comprising, in combination, a sleeve member adapted for sliding movement on an umbrella standard, an annular flange member projecting radially outwardly on said sleeve, an annular collar formed as an integral part of and projecting upwardly from said flange, means providing a plurality of spaced holes in said collar, the upper edge of each of said holes being spaced from the upper edge of said collar to provide a pivot for the looped end of one of said umbrella braces, the lower edge of each of said holes being spaced from the lower edge of said collar by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of said collar, each of said holes being formed by punching inwardly and downwardly a portion of said collar generally REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,243,594 Dillingham Oct. 16, 1917 1,593,494 Henry July 20, 1926 

